ePC

omr-scanners

Replace specialist OMR scanners/software with TeleForm

Advances in OMR technology and the widespread availability of image scanners mean many awarding bodies are decommissioning expensive OMR scanners and OMR software and investigating alternative solutions for 11+ entrance examinations and MCQ exams.

We provide a product called TeleForm for this, which is available in single user for processing up to a few thousand sheets per day. There are also multi-user editions available if you are processing thousands of sheets per day.

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Automated data capture

We do not sell optical mark readers or OMR scanners anymore as they are too expensive to maintain, and we can read OMR forms much faster and more flexibly with automated data capture solutions like TeleForm. This way you can use commonly available image scanners from Ricoh, Canon or Kodak and process the scanned images through the software in a far more scalable way.

Flexible form design

Flexible form design

Academic institutions have found many design constraints with OMR sheets created for use with DRS scanners and other OMR marking machines with a key challenge identified as the rigid grid-based system for OMR form design.

The TeleForm software offers a more flexible and cost-effective form layout process with multiple layout possibilities available. In addition to optical mark recognition (OMR) scoring answers to multiple choice questions (MCQ), intelligent character recognition (ICR) reads short written responses and optical character recognition (OCR) captures machine printed text.

Equally important, a TeleForm template includes cornerstones and ID blocks to reduce manual intervention and barcodes that can be used to identify candidates.

Use existing OMR sheet

Use existing OMR sheet

We understand some awarding bodies may want to use up existing stock of their existing OMR sheet design, despite being informed their DRS scanners are no longer supported. Or it may be that the process to get new designs through standardisation will take some time, so there is no option but to continue scanning the existing designs while that process is completed.

To support this requirement, ePC can implement a solution to capture legacy DRS forms through TeleForm. This involves ingesting colour and black-and-white images, interpreting header marks, extracting candidate responses, and exporting data to onward systems.

Answer sheets with multiple pages

Answer sheets with multiple pages

Optical mark reader scanners are often limited to single sheet forms.

TeleForm allows you to create forms of any length. It may be that you cannot fit all your questions for your exam onto one side of A4, especially where longer written responses are expected, and the form needs to spill over onto the reverse. Or you wish to combine multiple components of an exam into a single test paper, so they can be handled as one answer paper.

Longer written answers often require booklets, containing ten or twenty pages, and there needs to be robust page linking and ordering to ensure correct marking.

TeleForm provides advanced tools to enforce page-linking, via barcodes or candidate written values, to ensure that your multi-page OMR sheet for entrance exams cannot become separated or mixed up.

Handprint recognition

Handprint recognition

In addition to capturing MCQs with OMR, TeleForm can capture short handwritten responses (e.g., candidate name/number, date, venue) with intelligent character recognition (ICR).

ICR is also used to read short written answers (e.g. short answer questions (SAQs)) from constrained print fields (one character per box) on an answer paper. Common examples include short maths answers or the missing letters in words from a spelling test.

Automated marking for MCQs

At the same time, OMR technology can read candidate responses to MCQs and export a value for each question (i.e. A, B, C, D). Alternatively, OMR can mark each question (if pre-loaded with the answer-key) and export a final score, rather than just the raw responses.

Pre-print candidate data

Pre-print candidate data

Once form templates are created, you can merge data onto form fields to create personalised forms before distribution via PDF, print or eMail.

Common examples include candidate name/number, date of birth, school, test date/location, and seat number. This information can be encoded into a two-dimensional (2D) barcode to enable instant recognition of completed answer papers.

Additional benefits

Investing your time and money in obsolete OMR hardware that is unstable or has been discontinued is not a path we would recommend for obvious reasons.

Whether you want to replace the DRS/OMR scanner but keep your existing OMR answer sheet or decommission both the OMR sheet and DRS/OMR scanning hardware, TeleForm is the natural choice for academic institutions seeking alternative data collection software for high stakes exams.

More accessible answer sheets

In 2022, Ofqual published new guidance on making assessments accessible for students.

TeleForm supports the creation of accessible exam papers. Answer sheets with clear instructions and constrained data entry fields make it easier for candidates to fill in and reduce the risk of them making mistakes or misunderstanding instructions.

We can support coloured paper, dyslexia friendly fonts, and enlarged papers to support all your student needs.

Better use of page space

Although the old OMR scanners for OMR exams are quick and efficient at reading MCQs, they cannot read hand-print characters. This means that when it comes to capturing more complex data, such as the candidate number, a grid of tick-box fields is required. For example, if you have six-digit candidate numbers and they can contain any digits from 0 – 9, that will require a grid of 60 tick-boxes to capture!

TeleForm allows you to capture the same information from a simple six-cell constrained hand-print field, which leaves you far more space on the page for the fields that matter; the question responses.

No risk of obsolete OMR scanners/hardware

The risk with OMR/DRS scanners is that support could end, product development might be halted, and replacement parts might be unavailable.

TeleForm is compatible with ISIS, Kofax, and TWAIN compliant scanners meaning no specialist hardware is required.

You’ll have access to a wide range of hardware from Canon, Kodak, Ricoh, and other manufacturers. In such scenarios, if your high speed image scanner is broken or discontinued, a compatible model will always be available.

Reduce design costs

TeleForm offers a cost-effective alternative to outsourcing the design of your OMR sheets for processing with DRS scanners.

The software offers a better form design environment with a quicker development time for new forms and a reusable library of forms and field groups. Additionally, by redesigning your OMR based exam paper with TeleForm, you will improve the processing speed and accuracy of the scanned image.

To further reduce costs, we can provide training to allow you to create the form(s), although we recommend asking our team to build the initial form(s) for you, so you can learn best practices from us.

Lower form printing costs

OMR forms were designed to use a drop-out colour, usually red. While this is fully supported in TeleForm, it often adds to the OMR sheet printing costs by requiring colour printing and a dependency on the printing being completed to a very high standard.

Moreover, OMR forms designed for use with DRS scanners need to be printed on CBS2 paper meaning it is necessary to use professional print companies, which adds significantly to the pre-test time and cost.

There is no such requirement in TeleForm - standard 90 - 100gsm office paper is acceptable and you do not need to professionally print TeleForm templates with normal office printers more than adequate.

TeleForm

TeleForm

TeleForm is available as an on-site, installed system with training and support or ePC can provide outsourced exam management services where our scanning bureau manages the entire process for you.

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Case studies

  • Reading School

    Reading School

    Reading School release exam results faster by outsourcing 11-plus exam marking to ePC.

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  • Northumbria University

    Northumbria University

    Leading UK university uses TeleForm to design, scan and verify OMR answer sheets from undergraduate and postgraduate examinations.

  • Colyton Grammar School

    Colyton Grammar School

    CGS mark 11 plus entrance exam in two days with ePC’s scanning bureau services and automated marking system.

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  • Chelmsford County High School for Girls

    Chelmsford County High School for Girls

    ePC capture the 11-plus entrance test for Chelmsford County High School for Girls.

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  • Heckmondwike Grammar School

    Heckmondwike Grammar School

    ePC process the 11-plus entrance test for Heckmondwike Grammar School.

  • The Blue Coat School

    The Blue Coat School

    ePC capture and mark the 11-plus entrance test for The Blue Coat School.